The present invention relates to transport apparatus for transferring solid masses from one conveyor to another conveyor for use with filling machines for dessert, snack food or like material in the form of solid masses.
Apparatus of the type mentioned are known which comprise a continuously drivable first conveyor for transporting solid masses at a predetermined spacing so as to push out each mass forward from the terminal end of its transport path, a bridge plate so disposed as to receive the solid mass as pushed out forward from the first conveyor, a pusher for pushing the received solid mass forward on the bridge plate in sliding contact therewith and pushing out the solid mass forward from the front end of the bridge plate, and an intermittently drivable second conveyor having a plurality of holders arranged at a predetermined spacing in a transport direction, the second conveyor being so disposed that the solid mass pushed out forward from the bridge plate is received by the holder as held at rest at a receiving position.
To give an increased transport capacity to the known apparatus, there arises a need to operate each of the first and second conveyors at a higher speed. Although the operating speed of the first conveyor can be increased without difficult problems, an increase in the operating speed of the second conveyor requires a shortened cycle time for the intermittently driven conveyor. However, this is limited mechanically and is not easy to accomplish, consequently limiting the increase in the transport capacity of the overall apparatus.